Forever, Eternally
by Choking On A Dream
Summary: UP FOR DELETION Takes place during movie. Summary inside. PonyboyXoc
1. Beginning of the End

I really hope i can do a good job on this!

it just had to be good!

SUMMARY: Charlotte is a young girl who has been friends with the Curtis' outfit for a long time. Charlotte, or Charlie, is a simple kid who seems to act like the entire gang: hot-headed, like Steve, happy-go-lucky, like Soda, protective, like Darry, sweet, like Pony, loud and outgoing, like Two-Bit, unselfish, like Johnny, but most of all; tough like Dally. But when Ponyboy and Johnny are in trouble, will she be able to change the upcoming events, or will she lose the lives of her friends and her own trying?

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own 'The Outsiders'

well here we go...

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Prologue:

Begining of the End

_I sat in my room, still not moving from the events that had taken place over a week ago. I still couldn't get over it. It was too soon. They shouldn't have had to go. IT WAS TOO SOON!_

_I started to sob again. I couldn't take it. Tears trickled down my face and I hugged my knees closer to my chest. I know it was hard on everyone, but I had been so close to Dallas. We had been friends since I was 5 and he was 8, for Christ's sake! Why couldn't it have been someone else? WHY! And Johnny… oh, Johnny… I didn't even want to think of it. The last look he gave us was so unlike him… It was strong, and fearless… It's what we had always wanted that sad look to become, just… not this way._

_A sudden knocking on my door alerted me that there was someone who wanted to see me. Fat chance._

"_Charlie? Charlie?" Ponyboy's voice was muffled by the wood separating us. I wasn't going to answer. I wasn't going to answer! "…Charlotte…?"_

_I gasped slightly: no one ever called me that… ever. I shakily got up and slowly padded to my door. I placed my hands and forehead on the hard surface softly, but loud enough so that Ponyboy knew I was here and listening._

_I heard him sigh then talk, "Charlotte, listen." I was. "My teacher, Mr. Syme, is having me do a type of theme report for school, as a way to boost up my grades…" Where was he going with this? "I… I decided to do it on… what happened." I felt my heart rate go up a notch. What-? Why? "I… wanted you to look though it. Tell me what you think…" He had just trailed off, not knowing if what he was doing was right._

_I felt my lip tremble, and I stalked back over to my bed, curling up. I heard Pony sigh again. "Just… please read it." He shoved a small composition book under my door, and I heard him walk away. I glanced down at the book, and shook my head._

'No Charlie…! Don't do it! You'll hurt even more!_'_

_But how? How could I hurt even more when there was nothing else to hurt?_

_I slowly shuffled to it and hesitantly picked it up. I walked back over to my bed, staring nervously at it. I flipped it open to the first page. At the top, it read 'The Outsiders'. I questioned it. Were we really that excluded by society? Were we really that… different from the rest of the world? Maybe we were…_

_I glanced at the text, after much debate, and started to read… 'When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home…'_

_I finished the report and set it aside. Everything from the last few days was actually starting to sink in… Dally and Johnny were really gone. But… how? I lay back on my bed rethinking every thing. Saving those kids, Johnny just lying there in the hospital, the rumble, Johnny…dying, Dallas too… It was all too much._

_I rolled onto my side and cried out my frustrations from over the years. Everything that I had barley cried for was coming out now. Everything I had tried so desperately, and failed, to forget: it all came rushing back to me._

_I let out a small scream and clutched my head. Too much… too much… why… dead… why…?_

_My eyes flew open. Was it all just a dream? Or… nightmare is more like it. I looked over to where I had set Pony's report: it was still there. I swung my legs over the side of my bed and thought. I thought about everything, anything, and nothing. What I thought about the most was the good times I had with the whole gang… including Dallas and Johnny._

_They were both happy… and smiling. I know it wasn't like Dal to smile, but we were, like I said, happy. We had no cares, no worries, just each other…_

_A picture flitted across my mind: a happy memory. I was on Johnnycakes back… we were both grinning, and Dally was ruffling my hair and laughing. Pony was on Darry's back to our left and they were both grinning, too. Soda was on their left and was hopping up and down, attempting to jump on Pony's back. Two-Bit was practically on the ground in laughter and Steve was behind me and Johnny, and beside Dal. He was grinning too._

_I smiled sadly, trying to hold back the oncoming tears. I had read Pony's side of the story, now it's time to think about mine… Well… it all started on a fall day, as I remember, just about three months after school had started. I was walking down the street when I heard a scuffle…_

End of  
Prologue

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yay! prologue's up!

i already have the 1st chapter written so... REVIEW!


	2. The Gang and Crazy Thoughts

yay! i've done chappie 1!

i hope u all like this chapter... cos only 1 person reviewed the Prologue... out of 72 ppl!

**WhoaaReally53:** CONGRATS! UR THE 1ST REVIEWER! lol! thank you SOOOOOO much for reviewing! plz continue! lol!

well... here's chapter 1!

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Chapter 1

The Gang and Crazy Thoughts

I strutted down the street, taking long drags on my smoke and clutching a half empty bottle of Pepsi. I couldn't believe it; I was gonna be 14 tomorrow! I was so exited; I'd been waiting all year for the day when I would finally be recognized as a teenager. Sure, sure: I was _supposed_ to be a teenager when I turned 13, but the guys all said they were gonna wait 'till I was 14 to actually treat me like one. Honestly, I don't know why. It was some weird 'perk' to bein' the only girl in the whole gang. I mean: seriously! Was that really a 'perk' or just over-protective-brothers mode kickin' in? Whatever.

I looked down at myself, wondering if I'd change any tomorrow. Right now, I was kinda short, at about 5'3", compared to my gang who stood between 5'5" and 5'11". Either way, the guys are at _least_ two inches taller then me. Anyway, my hair was a dark, chocolaty brown, currently pulled up into a high ponytail, but when it was down it came to about the middle of my back.

But the one feature 'bout me that I like best, are my eyes. They're blue. Simple right? Well, not exactly. Y'see, my eyes are the most un-simple thing on me, if that's even a word. They're not any ordinary blue; they're what I like to call 'glass colored'. They're this kind of midnight blue that's really watery-looking, and reflects almost anything, just like glass (A/N: think Liv Tyler's eyes).

What I was wearing was nothing special… to most people. But for those who are like one of my buddies, Two-Bit, it was real tuff. I had on a pair of regular dark blue jeans, and my pair of worn out blue high-tops. But what would've gotten Two-Bit going was my yellow Pluto t-shirt. He's the type who _loves_ Mickey Mouse… but so do I. Nyah!

I took a gulp of my drink and continued on my way down the street, gearing to be 14, when I heard it. I stopped in my tracks. It sounded like a… struggle maybe? '_Socs? What the hell do they want this time 'round?_' I grumbled and decided to help whichever Grease they decided to pick on this time.

Rounding the corner of the street I was on, I saw who it was they were harassing. "Ponyboy?" I was angry, no, furious! What the hell where those damn Socs thinking? Pickin' an unfair fight with one of _my_ buddies! That'll defiantly earn them a beating.

"Darry!" I heard Pony scream. "Darry!" His voice then became muffled by the cloth they tried to shove into his mouth. I dropped my smoke and began to sprint at the bunch, my speed at the moment nearly matching Ponyboy's in track.

'_This is it!_' Just as the others came to chase the Socs away, I came charging in, jumping on one of the Soc's backs. He struggled, trying to get me off while I grunted trying to keep my grasp on his shirt. '_Damn this bottle!_' It was then that I had my wonderful idea. I raised my Pepsi and brought it crashing down on his cranium; sending my drink sloshing all over his big, egg-shaped head.

He cried out and crashed to the ground taking me with 'im. Stumbling to his feet, he ran to the mustang that one of his buddies probably owned. He launched 'imself into it.

"Oh no you don't!" I got up and sprinted to the car just as they were heading off. I jumped onto the hood and latched myself there.

"Get off!" I heard one of their muffled voices yell at me. I smirked at their misfortune, but it quickly turned into a grimace as I tried to keep my hold on the giant piece of machinery as it sped down the road. I grasped at the metal of the hood, but there was nothing to grasp onto.

They swerved and I went tumbling off the car, shoulder first, into the ground. "Oof!"

Watching as they drove off, I heard their cusses of frustration. I smirked slightly, rubbing my soon-to-be bruise. I soon heard the pounding of feet as someone made their way over to me. I looked over and saw Dally, Steve and Two-Bit coming.

Dal bent down slightly and offered me his hand, "C'mon, kid." I took it without hesitation, and he pulled me up.

Most people would be scared of Dallas Winston, but not me. Y'see, that's the great thing 'bout me and Dal's relationship: I knew 'im when I was really, REALLY young, growing up in New-York. He was older then me, but we were good friends, 'cause of my stupid habit of picking fights with some of the older guys on my block. He'd help me out sometimes and we'd whoop a few asses, but not without getting beat up ourselves. He said that he "admired my spunk". It was good enough for me.

Steve said nothing, but looked me over for any damage. "I'm fine, Steve." He looked at my face and nodded, muttering "alright".

Steve and me were alright friends, too. He looked at me like an older brother would a younger sister. Thing was; he always thought that it wasn't proper for me to be fighting with the Socs, but I kept telling 'im that I was stronger then he thought I was. Also, he looked down on Ponyboy, and I got angry at 'im sometimes for it. But other than those things, he wasn't half bad.

Two-Bit came over and put his hand on my shoulder, "Y'alright, kiddo?"

I brushed his hand off, ignoring the small stinging in the spot where his hand had been, "I told ya already: I'm fine, Two-Shit." Steve and Dally snickered while Two-Bit just mock-pouted at the nickname I had given 'im so long ago. I don't really remember why I had given it to 'im; it was pure randomness on my part… and it also consisted of a little rhyming game we were playing.

Two-Bit was the comic of the group: always joking and smiling. Once, when it was just us two, I'd told 'im that he'd end up breaking his face if he kept smiling that big. It had been a 'compliment' (A/N: coughcough), but he'd just smiled again and told me "It's worth it". I had found it so simple that it was… deep. A bit odd for 'im, but whatever.

"Yeah, yeah, Chucky." He had smirked at his own nickname for me, but I just brushed it off.

"C'mon," Dally motioned for us to follow 'im, "let's see how the kid's doin'." We all nodded and made or way over, or in my case sprinted, to Darry and Soda, who were huddled around Pony. Johnny was a off a little ways, but there nonetheless.

"Hey, Pony, how ya doin'?" I asked as I crouched down beside 'im. He looked at me a little sorrowfully, and it just broke my heart. The look he was giving me right now was almost like the one Johnny gives us: lost, broken, and pathetic. That gaze came from two of the sweetest Greasers I knew, but it shouldn't have had to: Johnny and Ponyboy both had it rough, but they still had the courage to keep smiling.

Johnny had a bad home life. His dad beat 'im and his mom just didn't give a shit. The gang won't do nothing 'bout it 'cause Johnny don't want us to. He thinks that even if his parents got busted, the fuzz wouldn't do nothing 'bout it. They don't do nothing for us Greasers. Also, he thinks that deep inside, maybe his parents _do_ love 'im, but if they did, they wouldn't treat 'im they way they did, would they?

Ponyboy was another story. His parents died in a few months back when their car was hit by a train, and he went under custody of Darry, his older brother.

I had felt so horrible; Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had been the parents that I never had. Mr. Curtis had taught me how to play football even though I was a girl, and he'd do his best to cheer me up when I was upset. Mrs. Curtis had been the one who'd patch me up when I'd get into a fight with the Socs, even though she'd tell me not to. She'd even let me spill my secrets to her. They were nothing like the parents I had.

When I was 5, and living in New-York, my dad walked out on us: us being my older brother, mother, and myself. When he left, my mom got sloppy at parenthood, because she wasn't used to being a single mom. I understood; we were going through a rough time, so I let her get away with it instead of helping her to get better like I should have. But 'bout four months after I turned 8 and two years before moving to Tulsa, I lost a very special someone. It was the last straw and my mom just lost it. She started to work day and night, and when she wasn't working, which was rare, she was either found sleeping or not found at all. The thing that killed me the most was when she was there and not sleeping, she never listened to me: she'd completely ignore me, like I wasn't even there…

Michael Jones and Christina Marlowe: the people I hated most… Well, back to Pony:

He was just too sweet. He always had his head in the clouds and never really paid attention to what people did or said, which, unlike my mom, was okay, 'cause he didn't really do it on purpose: it was just some habit of his. Anyways…

Ponyboy just looked at me so broken, "I'm alright." he muttered.

"Alright?" We glanced up at Darry, who had spoken, "Alright! Look at you! They were gonna cut you open like a frog on dissection day at school, and they almost did too."

I quickly looked over at Pony, and sure enough, he had blood trickling down his neck.

"C'mon, Darry," Soda, Pony's other older brother, protested, "He's alive, ain't he?

Soda was a 'ladies man'. He was incredibly handsome and had the charm to match. He was sweet, like Pony, but protective, like Darry, only less. He was also like Two-Bit in some ways: hyper and practically bouncing off the walls. When I was about 10, I had a bit of a crush on the guy, to be honest.

Darry, on the other hand, was big. Not fat, but muscular from his job of roofin' houses. He was also handsome, just not like Soda was. He was hard-shelled and somewhat cool, like Dal, but he was _a bit _more open with his emotions. After his parents died, he had the responsibility of watching over his brothers and he was forced to grow up a lot soon then he should have.

I turned back to Pone, gently brushing my fingers just below the shallow cut on his neck, "Oh, Pony…" I murmured. He looked so ashamed for some reason. He shouldn't have to be though.

"I'll be fine, now stop fussin'." He lightly grabbed my wrist and removed it from the cut. I felt a little hurt that he was pushing me away like that. He had been doing it a lot lately too. Well, really though, I had a major crush on 'im, and I had felt like he was pushing me away, but I didn't know if it was just my imagination or what, and it really tore my heart to pieces that maybe he was actually distancing 'imself from me. Did he know? Did he somehow find out? 'Cause as far as I know, only Johnny and Dal knew, and they would never tell no one.

I pulled back and let Pony stagger to his feet. "Thanks for helpin' me though." He smiled. I returned the gesture and straightened myself to an upright position.

"No problem." I replied grinning. We began to follow Darry and Sodapop back to the Curtis' home.

"Man, walking by yourself. You don't ever think." The oldest Curtis brother grumbled.

Pony looked somewhat disgruntled, "All I did was walk home from the movies."

"Movies and books, movies and books." Darry was going into way-over-protective-brother mode now. Man, I know Pony can be dreamy and soft sometimes, but, hell, if the kid wants to be that way; let 'im be! "Y'know; I wish that you could concentrate on something else just once in a while."

At this moment, Soda decided that he should jump in. "Why don't you concentrate on girls and cars? Works for me." He discreetly winked at me before he went on to nudging Darry in the chest with his arm. I stared at the guy, a somewhat surprised look on my face. Don't tell me he knew too!

Dar also looked at 'im with a bit of an odd expression before turning back to Pony. "Look, kid… if you had to go you should have carried a blade."

"Darry!" I exclaimed, "That would've gotten Pony into even worse trouble! You know that."

"Yeah, that would've been a great excuse for the Socs to cut his neck a little more there." Both Soda and me had good points. Pony would've been in deeper shit than was already in. Not to mention the fact that Darry would've been on his case 'bout the knife anyways. I'd never say that out loud, but _damn_ was I thinkin' it.

The man gave me a bit of a cold stare and then turned to Soda. "If I want my kid bother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you, all right, _kid brother_?" He gave me another short glance before he spoke.

"And you. You shouldn't have just jumped on that car; you could have hurt yourself!" He then turned on his heel to go into the garage beside the house.

I gasped; '_I hadn't even realized we got here! And… was he lecturing me?_'

"Gee Soda, why does he always got to be like that?" Pone asked his older brother.

Giving him a tender look, Soda replied, "He's just got more worries then he used to."

"How's the kid?"

I jumped a bit and jerked my head to where the voice was coming from. '_Jesus Christ! I'd forgotten all about 'im! Where the hell did he disappear to?_' I sighed in relief seeing it was just Dally.

Pony and Soda turned to 'im, "I'm fine. What are you doing out of the cooler, Dal?"

"Hey…" I looked at Dal funnily, thinking about what Pone said. "That's right… you were jailed. Just what _are_ you doing out so soon?" Dallas only chuckled in amusement.

Then Steve showed up, Two-Bit trailing behind 'im, "Yeah? And what are you doing walking by your lonesome on the street?" I gave 'im a warning look.

"It's none of your business…" Pony glanced away from the somewhat enraged teen.

Steve scowled, "What do you mean none of my business? It is my business. Look at my nose!"

I slugged 'im in the arm… hard. "You'd better watch what you say, Steve, or else you'll have a whole lot more to worry 'bout then just your nose." I growled.

He snorted, although he was rubbing the spot where I had punched 'im. Soda pulled Steve away and gave me a bit of a grin, to which I returned with a mock bow.

"Smart-ass. He's a smart-ass kid... and so is she!" Steve pointed at me then turned to Dally, "Hey, Dally, how you doin'?" I slapped my face at the quick change of subject. Pony looked over at me and gave me a slight smile. I returned it shyly.

"I'm doin' alright, man." I would've rolled my eyes because they shook hands like long-lost buds, even though they saw each other a bit over a month ago. Men…

I decided to walk away by this point and go over to see Johnny. I approached 'im. "Hey, how ya doing, Johnnycakes?"

He looked at me from the bowed position he had put his head into. "I'd be better if the Socs would jus' leave us alone."

I nodded my head agreeing with 'im. "Yeah, man. That would be somethin' wouldn't it?" He nodded too.

"Yeah…"

"Hey, Johnny, man, how's it goin', bro?" Dal was beside us in the next second.

He shrugged a bit, "Things would go better if the Socs stayed on the South side of town." We all started to walk towards the house, me lingering behind everyone, feeling a little left out.

'_Why the hell is it that I've been feeling so excluded from everything lately? Is it me? Is it my fault? Maybe it is…_' I knew that all the guys loved me. They were all like my older brothers. But that was the problem: they were _just_ like brothers. And a lot of the times the brothers and sisters will be really close at first, but grow farther apart as time went on… Was that happening to us? It can't! I didn't want us to be like that! It wasn't right! I mean I know that everyone had their own lives and stuff, but I was feeling left out. Was I jus' being selfish? I dunno…

"We'll go with you. Won't we, Pony, Charlie?" I was snapped out of my mental rant by none other than Johnny Cade.

"Huh?"

"I don't know, Dal. I can't get in no trouble with the cops. Darry says the court'll split us up for sure if I do." Pony was answering the unknown-only-by-me question that had been asked.

"Does anyone mind explainin' to me what we're doing?"

Pony, Johnny and Dallas all gave me funny looks. "Are you okay, kid?" Dally put his hand on my forehead. "You ain't been yourself lately; spacin' out too much, ya know?"

I pulled his hand away from my face. "I'll be fine." I snapped, "Jus' a bit tired is all. So what are we doing?" They all looked a bit surprised by my small outburst and exchanged glances. I knew that look pretty good. It was the "is-it-a-girl-issue-or-what?" look. I rolled my eyes and stared to walk away before turning back to them. "Well?"

Dal answered, "Movie. Tomorrow night. You comin'?"

I pondered this over. A movie on my birthday? Sounded alright to me. 'Sides; not like my mom's gonna give a hang 'bout where I'll be.

"Sure. What time?"

"'Round 6:30, 7 O'clock."

I nodded my head a bit. "Hmm. I might meet ya there: I got things to do."

Johnny looked at me curiously, "Like what?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I dunno. Thinkin' I guess."

They all looked at each other. Again, they shared a look, this time it was worried. I would've done that too if I were them, I mean, I don't usually skip time with the gang to 'think'. But today, and maybe tomorrow, I really thought I had to.

I waved to them all. "See ya later, man." They all waved back and I was off…

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"Ma, I'm home!" I walked into my house, which was not unlike the Curtis' run-down one.

"………"

As always, she was not there. Maybe she was sleeping, maybe she was working, or maybe she was out and about, I don't care. Mom was never 'round so why should I?

I sighed tiredly and stalked to my room at the end of the hall. It wasn't much; small, deprived of paint, stale-smelling. I didn't have much furniture in there either; I had my bed, desk and dresser. Like I said: nothing special.

I closed the door and dragged myself over to the bed, plopping myself onto it. I stared at the wall, feeling weird. '_Why can't I get rid of this weird feeling? Why do I feel like I want tomorrow NOT to come? Something's gonna happen, isn't it? Oooh…! I can feel it! Something _is_ gonna happen!_' I tried to move those thoughts aside as I changed into my green sweats and extra large, white t-shirt. I lowered myself down on the bed and pulled the covers over me. Even though it was only around dinner time, I felt like my eyes were made of led.

'_Something _is_ going to happen… it is…_'

End of  
Chapter 1

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okay thats that!

i want ppl to review! even flames are welcome! just... dont burn me too bad.

plz plz plz review for me! okay? okay!

bye!


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